Infant&#39;s diaper



J. ADAMS INFANT s DIAPER 'Filed Feb. 9, 1956 I I I States Patent 2,898,912 Patented Aug. 11, 1959 INFANTS DIAPER Jane Adams, Burbank, Calif.

Application February 9, 1956, Serial No. 564,391

8 Claims. (Cl. 128-284) This invention relates to infants undergarments and particularly to an improved form of diaper.

The provision of a satisfactory form of diaper has been a long sought objective and to date there have been no completely satisfactory solutions. The first consideration is to eliminate the use of safety pins and various forms of fasteners have been proposed such as tie strings, straps and buckles, snaps, and even zippers have been proposed; each of which has had some shortcoming which made the product unacceptable to purchasers. Another consideration has been to produce a satisfactory diaper characterized by the use of a minimum amount of cloth to result in a comfortable, but well fitting garment. This effort has failed in that no suitable means was afforded to accommodate the growth of the infant which, during the time diapers are required, will be at least double and more often be more than triple the weight at birth.

With these considerations in mind, it it an object of the present invention to provide an infants diaper characterized by a construction including fastening means formed of the diaper material eliminating all metallic or other fastening means.

Another object of the invention is to provide a diaper formed of a flat sheet of fabric and which is so constructed and arranged as to be readily varied in its overall length with resultant accommodation for the infant during growth.

A further object of the invention is to provide a diaper having the foregoing advantages which is formed from two plies of fabric sewn together along their edges and in which all heretofore added elements such as bindings, tie strings, metallic fasteners, and the like are eliminated.

With the foregoing objects in View, together with such additional objects and advantages as may subsequently appear, the invention resides in the parts, and in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts described, by way of example in the following specification of a presently preferred embodiment of the invention: reference being had to the accompanying drawings which form a part of said specification and in which drawings:

Fig. l is a front perspective view of a diaper embodying the invention as arranged when worn by an infant: the diaper being shown as arranged when adjusted to its maximum size,

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the diaper before folding,

Fig. 3 is a rear elevational View for the front portion of the folded and applied diaper showing the arrangement of the securing means,

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 44 of Fig. 3,

Fig. is a view showing the back and front ends of the diaper as arranged for accommodation of a small baby, and Fig. 6 is a fragmentary front elevation showing the arrangement of the parts when the diaper as shown in Fig. 6 is applied and secured.

Referring first to Fig. 2, the illustrated diaper comprises two superposed plies of suitable material (such as cotton flannel) cut into a configuration somewhat resembling an hourglass and with the widest portion 1 forming the back provided with short, laterally extending tabs or straps 2 and 3 at the end thereof. The diaper may be formed of a single ply of material folded on itself along the edge 4 and having the cut edges stitched together by a seam 5 or it may be formed of separate plies stitched together throughout the entire perimeter. The opposite end 6 is provided with first and second pairs of slits resembling buttonholes 7, 7 and 8, 8 equally spaced from the longitudinal centerline of the diaper and being spaced apart a distance less than the length of the tabs 2 and 3. On the inner face of the diaper, an absorbent pad holding means is provided: said means comprising a patch pocket formed of a rectangular piece of fabric 9 sewn to the diaper on three sides by a seam 10 is provided; the open end being disposed toward the end 6 and the pocket being disposed so as to be bisected by the fold line FF representing the point at which the diaper is folded on itself when placed on an infant; the narrowest portion of the diaper being disposed between the fold line and the front end 6.

In applying the diaper the infant is laid on the opened diaper and the front end 6 of the diaper is folded up between the infants legs and the sides of the back portion 1 are then brought up and over the sides of the front portion; the width of said back portion being sufficient to bring the tabs into close adjacency to the respective slits 7, 7. One of the tabs (for example 2) is then inserted through the adjacent slit 7 from the front. Then the other tab is first inserted through the other slit 7 from the front and thence through the first named slit 7 from the rear to the front. Finally the tab 2 is brought to the front face of the tab 3 and inserted through the slit 7 first entered by the tab 3 and the exposed tabs are then pulled until the desired tightness is achieved. The interengagement of the tabs with each other and with the surface of the front end of the diaper is sufficient to hold the tabs from unintentional release. At the same time, the tabs can be pulled through the slits to the desired extent to make a comfortable fit.

Referring now to Figs. 5 and 6, the means by which the diaper can, in effect, be shortened to accommodate small babies is shown. This is achieved by folding the end 1 outwardly to an extent roughly equivalent to the width of the tabs 2 and 3 and correspondingly outwardly folding the front end 6 so that each slit 8 is brought into registry with the corresponding slit 8. The application of the diaper to the baby proceeds in the manner above described with the exception that the tabs are passed through both of the registering slits instead of only one. Where the folding of both ends as shown makes the diaper too short, only one of the ends can be thus folded if desired.

While the preferred form of the invention employs superposed fabric plies, it is appreciated that in some instances only a single ply diaper may be preferred and in such case the out edges would be prevented from raveling either by merely pinking the edges or by a suitable overedge type of stitching.

Thus the invention provides a simple form of diaper which affords the maximum of protection with a minimum of fabric with consequent more comfortable fi-t for the infant and which at the same time is adjustable in overall length to accommodate the growth of the infant. Moreover, it can be secured without the use of any pins or other fasteners in any desired adjustment.

While the foregoing specification describes a presently preferred form of the invention, it is not to be inferred that the invention is limited to the exact form thereof so disclosed, and it will be understood that the invention embraces all such changes and modifications in the parts and in the construction, combination and arrangement of inwardly curved towardeach other with resultant con figuration in plan substantially resembling an hourglass and comprising a back portion and a front portion; said back portion being of greater width than said front por tion and having a pair of laterally extending tabsdisposed.

one each ateach side edge thereof, and said front portion being provided with a pair of slitsextending parallel to the length of said diaper and disposed on opposite sides of the longitudinal center line of" said diaper; the distance between said slits being less than the lengths-of said tabs, and the width of saidback portion being sufficient to extend around the body of the infant from the back thereof to points outwardly adjacent to said slits whereby each of said tabs may be inserted from-opposite sides through both of said slits and be crossed'between said slits with resultant securing of the diaper on the infant the said'interengagement of said tabs and slits constituting the sole means for securing the diaper imposition of use.

2. A diaper as claimed in claim 1 in which the diaper comprises a sheet of fabric folded on'itself to form one end edge thereof and in which the remaining edges are stitched together.

3. A diaper as claimed in claim 1 including a piece of fabric stitched to the side thereof forming the inner face of the diaper and forming a pocket for a disposable absorbent pad.

4. An infants diaper comprising a sheet of textile fab-- ric of greater length than width having the side edges inwardly curved toward each other with resultant configuration in plan substantially resembling; an'hou-rglassand comprising a back portion and afront portion; said back portion being of greater width than said front portion and having a pair of laterally extending tabs disposed one each at each side edge thereof, andsaidfront portionbeing provided with a first pair of slits extending parallel to the length of the diaper anddisposed on opposite sides of the longitudinal center line of the diaper; the distance between said slits being lessthantlielength of said tabs, said front end of said diaper being further provided with a second pair ofslits in longitudinal alignment with said first pair and disposed inwardly of said first pair of slits so that upon folding said front end upon itself along a line between said pairs of slits one slit of each pair will be in registry with one slit of the other pair; the width of said back portion being sufiicient to extend around the body: of the infant from the back to the front to points outwardly adjacent said aligned slits whereby said tabs" may each be passed through the ad jacent aligned slits'and thence through the other aligned slits and may be intertwined with each other between the aligned slits withresultant securing of the diaper around the bodyof the infant without use of securing means other than the interengagement of said tabs and slits.

5. A diaper as claimed in claim 4 in which said tabs may be interengaged only with said first pair of slits with resultant increase of the'length of the diaper to accommodate'a larger infant.

6. Adiaper as claimed in claim 4 in which the end of said back portionmay be folded outwardly on itself along a line transverse to the length of the diaper with resultant reduction of the length of the diaper to accommodate a smaller-infant.

7. A diaper as claimed inclaim 4 in which the diaper comprises a sheet of fabric folded on itself to form one end edge thereof and in which the remaining edges are stitched together.

8. A diaper as-claimed in' claim 4 including a pocket on' the inner face thereof for reception of a disposable absorbent pad.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,649,958 Hoyme Nov. 22, 1927 2,548,162 Karels Apr. 10, 1951 2,568,910 Condylis Sept. 25, 1951 2,570,963 Mesrner Oct. 9,

2,638,899 Ambarian May 19, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 862,026 France Nov. 22, 1940 

